by Randi Abramowitz, MSW

No one wants to share! It’s all mine! If I took the scissors that you were using, you’d probably say, “No, let me finish first”. Yet we ask children to do it all the time. If I said to you, “When you are finished with the scissors, can I use them?” you’d be a lot friendlier about the whole thing and I’d understand. Same for our children. When your child grabs a truck from another child instead of someone telling the other child to share, which he clearly won’t want to do, try asking if they will give your child a turn when they are finished. Most children say “yes” and many do it right away. If they say “no”, move on, just like you would. We want to respect children’s play and we want to give our children strong life skills for getting turns and dealing with disappointment. Good modeling for the real world.

For those who have a tougher time with this idea, check out our “Learning to Share” book. This personalized children’s book uses concrete scenarios to help your child build confidence when it comes to sharing situations.

Because Twigtale’s books are customized to your child with personal photos, the messages are much more effective.